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Its inhabitants are Contois, because the village sounds like the French word comte, the aristocratic title count, it called itself Point Libre during the revolutionary period.

Famous sons of Contes are Henri Charpentier, a chef who studied under Escoffier, Camous and Ritz, he worked for some of the most famous restaurants in Paris and then emigrated to the United States where he would open restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. The other, Humbert Ricolfi was actually a classmate of Charpentier and went on to become Minister of Finance for the Republique, he financed the Maginot Line and is remembered as an upholder of the great ideals of the French Republique.

Contents

Contes is a 7.52-square-mile (19.5 km2) commune in the Southeast of France. It is located on Paillon valley, between 130 and 480 metres AMSL (430–1580 ft). The inhabitants live mainly in the village, but also in hamlets like Sclos, La Vernéa, La Pointe.

Formerly a rural community, with olive, vineyard and cattle-based economy, it has converted in a secondary town with services activities and residential areas for people working in the 15 km (9.3 mi) far city of Nice. The town has an important Lafarge plaster factory.

1.
Communes of France
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The commune is a level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to civil townships incorporated municipalities in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany, the United Kingdom has no exact equivalent, as communes resemble districts in urban areas, but are closer to parishes in rural areas where districts are much larger. Communes are based on historical geographic communities or villages and have received significant powers of governance to manage the populations, the communes are the fourth-level administrative divisions of France. A French commune may be a city of 2.2 million inhabitants like Paris, communes typically are based on pre-existing villages and facilitate local governance. All communes have names, but not all named geographic areas or groups of people residing together are communes, a commune is a town, city, or municipality. Use of commune in English is a habit, and one that might be corrected. There is nothing in commune in French that is different from town in English. The French word commune appeared in the 12th century, from Medieval Latin communia, as of January 2015, there were 36,681 communes in France,36,552 of them in metropolitan France and 129 of them overseas. This is a higher total than that of any other European country. The whole territory of the French Republic is divided into communes and this is unlike some other countries, such as the United States, where unincorporated areas directly governed by a county or a higher authority can be found. There are only a few exceptions, COM of Saint-Martin and it was previously a commune inside the Guadeloupe région. The commune structure was abolished when Saint-Martin became an overseas collectivity on 22 February 2007, COM of Wallis and Futuna, which still is divided according to the three traditional chiefdoms. It was previously a commune inside the Guadeloupe region, the commune structure was abolished when Saint-Barthélemy became an overseas collectivity on 22 February 2007.88 square kilometres. The median area of metropolitan Frances communes at the 1999 census was even smaller, the median area is a better measure of the area of a typical French commune. This median area is smaller than that of most European countries. In Italy, the area of communes is 22 km2, in Belgium it is 40 km2, in Spain it is 35 km2, and in Germany. Switzerland and the Länder of Rhineland-Palatinate, Schleswig-Holstein, and Thuringia in Germany were the places in Europe where the communes had a smaller median area than in France. The communes of Frances overseas départements such as Réunion and French Guiana are large by French standards and they usually group into the same commune several villages or towns, often with sizeable distances among them

2.
Geographic coordinate system
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A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system used in geography that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation, to specify a location on a two-dimensional map requires a map projection. The invention of a coordinate system is generally credited to Eratosthenes of Cyrene. Ptolemy credited him with the adoption of longitude and latitude. Ptolemys 2nd-century Geography used the prime meridian but measured latitude from the equator instead. Mathematical cartography resumed in Europe following Maximus Planudes recovery of Ptolemys text a little before 1300, in 1884, the United States hosted the International Meridian Conference, attended by representatives from twenty-five nations. Twenty-two of them agreed to adopt the longitude of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, the Dominican Republic voted against the motion, while France and Brazil abstained. France adopted Greenwich Mean Time in place of local determinations by the Paris Observatory in 1911, the latitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle between the equatorial plane and the straight line that passes through that point and through the center of the Earth. Lines joining points of the same latitude trace circles on the surface of Earth called parallels, as they are parallel to the equator, the north pole is 90° N, the south pole is 90° S. The 0° parallel of latitude is designated the equator, the plane of all geographic coordinate systems. The equator divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the longitude of a point on Earths surface is the angle east or west of a reference meridian to another meridian that passes through that point. All meridians are halves of great ellipses, which converge at the north and south poles, the prime meridian determines the proper Eastern and Western Hemispheres, although maps often divide these hemispheres further west in order to keep the Old World on a single side. The antipodal meridian of Greenwich is both 180°W and 180°E, the combination of these two components specifies the position of any location on the surface of Earth, without consideration of altitude or depth. The grid formed by lines of latitude and longitude is known as a graticule, the origin/zero point of this system is located in the Gulf of Guinea about 625 km south of Tema, Ghana. To completely specify a location of a feature on, in, or above Earth. Earth is not a sphere, but a shape approximating a biaxial ellipsoid. It is nearly spherical, but has an equatorial bulge making the radius at the equator about 0. 3% larger than the radius measured through the poles, the shorter axis approximately coincides with the axis of rotation

Geographic coordinate system
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Longitude lines are perpendicular and latitude lines are parallel to the equator.

3.
Regions of France
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France is divided into 18 administrative regions, including 13 metropolitan regions and 5 overseas regions. The current legal concept of region was adopted in 1982, the term région was officially created by the Law of Decentralisation, which also gave regions their legal status. The first direct elections for representatives took place on 16 March 1986. In 2016, the number of regions was reduced from 27 to 18 through amalgamation, in 2014, the French parliament passed a law reducing the number of metropolitan regions from 22 to 13 with effect from 1 January 2016. However, the region of Upper and Lower Normandy is simply called Normandy. Permanent names were to be proposed by the new regional councils by 1 July 2016, the legislation defining the new regions also allowed the Centre region to officially change its name to Centre-Val de Loire with effect from January 2015. Two regions, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, opted to retain their interim names, between 1982 and 2015, there were 22 regions in Metropolitan France. Before 2011, there were four regions, in 2011 Mayotte became the fifth. Regions lack separate legislative authority and therefore cannot write their own statutory law and they levy their own taxes and, in return, receive a decreasing part of their budget from the central government, which gives them a portion of the taxes it levies. They also have considerable budgets managed by a council made up of representatives voted into office in regional elections. A regions primary responsibility is to build and furnish high schools, in March 2004, the French central government unveiled a controversial plan to transfer regulation of certain categories of non-teaching school staff to the regional authorities. Critics of this plan contended that tax revenue was insufficient to pay for the costs. In addition, regions have considerable power over infrastructural spending, e. g. education, public transit, universities and research. This has meant that the heads of regions such as Île-de-France or Rhône-Alpes can be high-profile positions. Number of regions controlled by each coalition since 1986, Overseas region is a recent designation, given to the overseas departments that have similar powers to those of the regions of metropolitan France. Radio France Internationale in English Overseas regions Ministère de lOutre-Mer some explanations about the past and current developments of DOMs and TOMs

Regions of France

4.
Departments of France
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In the administrative divisions of France, the department is one of the three levels of government below the national level, between the administrative regions and the commune. There are 96 departments in metropolitan France and 5 overseas departments, each department is administered by an elected body called a departmental council. From 1800 to April 2015, they were called general councils, the departments were created in 1791 as a rational replacement of Ancien Régime provinces with a view to strengthen national unity, the title department is used to mean a part of a larger whole. Almost all of them were named after geographical features rather than after historical or cultural territories which could have their own loyalties. The earliest known suggestion of it is from 1764 in the writings of dArgenson and they have inspired similar divisions in many countries, some of them former French colonies. Most French departments are assigned a number, the Official Geographical Code. Some overseas departments have a three-digit number, the number is used, for example, in the postal code, and was until recently used for all vehicle registration plates. For example, inhabitants of Loiret might refer to their department as the 45 and this reform project has since been abandoned. The first French territorial departments were proposed in 1665 by Marc-René dArgenson to serve as administrative areas purely for the Ponts et Chaussées infrastructure administration, before the French Revolution, France gained territory gradually through the annexation of a mosaic of independent entities. By the close of the Ancien Régime, it was organised into provinces, during the period of the Revolution, these were dissolved, partly in order to weaken old loyalties. Their boundaries served two purposes, Boundaries were chosen to break up Frances historical regions in an attempt to erase cultural differences, Boundaries were set so that every settlement in the country was within a days ride of the capital of the department. This was a security measure, intended to keep the national territory under close control. This measure was directly inspired by the Great Terror, during which the government had lost control of rural areas far from any centre of government. The old nomenclature was carefully avoided in naming the new departments, most were named after an areas principal river or other physical features. Even Paris was in the department of Seine, the number of departments, initially 83, was increased to 130 by 1809 with the territorial gains of the Republic and of the First French Empire. Following Napoleons defeats in 1814-1815, the Congress of Vienna returned France to its pre-war size, in 1860, France acquired the County of Nice and Savoy, which led to the creation of three new departments. Two were added from the new Savoyard territory, while the department of Alpes-Maritimes was created from Nice, the 89 departments were given numbers based on their alphabetical order. The department of Bas-Rhin and parts of Meurthe, Moselle, Vosges and Haut-Rhin were ceded to the German Empire in 1871, following Frances defeat in the Franco-Prussian War

Departments of France
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Geometrical proposition rejected
Departments of France
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The 101 departments of France
Departments of France
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The three Algerian departments in 1848

5.
Alpes-Maritimes
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Alpes-Maritimes is a department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur region in the extreme southeast corner of France. The inhabitants of the department are called Maralpins, but are referred to as Azuréens. The Alpes-Maritimes department is surrounded by the departments of Var in the southwest, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in the north-west, Italy, and it surrounds the Principality of Monaco on the west, north, and east. The highest point of the department is the Cime du Gélas on the Franco-Italian border which dominates the Vallée des Merveilles further east, in fact the summit of Monte Argentera is certainly higher at 3297 m above sea level but it is located in Italian territory. There is also Mount Mounier which dominates the south of the vast Dôme de Barrot which is formed of a mass of more than 900 m thick red mudstones deeply indented by the gorges of Daluis and Cians. Except in winter, four passes allow passage to the north of the Mercantour/Argentera mountain range whose imposing 62 km long barrier covered in snow which is visible from the coast. From the west the Route des Grandes Alpes enters the Cayolle Pass first on the way to the Alps, then the route follows the Col de la Bonette - the highest pass in Europe at 2715 m - to connect to the valley of the Tinée then the Ubaye. Further east, the Lombard pass above Isola 2000 allows access to the shrine of Saint-Anne de Vinadio in Italy, finally, at its eastern end, the Col de Tende links with Cuneo in Italy. The rivers in order are, It is the climate that made the Côte dAzur famous. The coastal area has a Mediterranean climate, towards the interior, especially in the north, a mountain climate. One of the attractions of the department is its level of sunshine,300 days per year, despite this the department is also the most stormy of France with an average of 70 to 110 thunderstorm days per year. Alpes-Maritimes is divided into 2 arrondissements, the Grasse and the Nice,27 cantons and 163 communes, in 2002 there were 14 intercommunalities. At its greatest extent in AD297, the province reached north to Digne, a first French département of Alpes-Maritimes existed in the same area from 1793 to 1814. Its boundaries differed from those of the department, however. In 1793 Alpes-Maritimes included Monaco and San Remo, but not Grasse which was part of the départment of Var. Sanremo, cantons, Sanremo, Bordighera, Dolceacqua, Pigna, Taggia, Triora, Puget-Théniers, cantons, Puget-Théniers, Beuil, Gilette, Guillaumes, Roquesteron, Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée and Villars-sur-Var. Its population in 1812 was 131,266, and its area was 322,674 hectares, the department was reconstituted in 1860 when the county of Nice was annexed by France. It included the county of Nice as well as the independent towns of Menton and Roquebrune

Alpes-Maritimes
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Nice & Côte d'Azur
Alpes-Maritimes
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Sign welcoming visitors to Alpes-Maritimes.
Alpes-Maritimes
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Belvédère in the Vesubie valley, one of the many villages perched in the Alpes-Maritime.
Alpes-Maritimes
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Geography of the Department of Alpes-Maritimes

6.
Occitan language
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Occitan, also known as lenga dòc by its native speakers, is a Romance language. It is spoken in southern France, Italys Occitan Valleys, Monaco, and Spains Val dAran, collectively, Occitan is also spoken in the linguistic enclave of Guardia Piemontese. However, there is controversy about the unity of the language, others include Catalan in this family, as the distance between this language and some Occitan dialects is similar to the distance among different Occitan dialects. In fact, Catalan was considered an Occitan dialect until the end of the 19th century, today, Occitan is an official language in Catalonia, where a subdialect of Gascon known as Aranese is spoken in the Val dAran. Since September 2010, the Parliament of Catalonia has considered Aranese Occitan to be the preferred language for use in the Val dAran. Unlike other Romance languages such as French or Spanish, there is no written standard language called Occitan. Instead, there are competing norms for writing Occitan, some of which attempt to be pan-dialectal, There are also significant lexical differences, where some dialects have words cognate with French, and others have Catalan and Spanish cognates. Nonetheless, there is a significant amount of mutual intelligibility, the long-term survival of Occitan is in grave doubt. According to the UNESCO Red Book of Endangered Languages, four of the six dialects of Occitan are considered severely endangered. The name Occitan comes from lenga dòc, òc being the Occitan word for yes and this was not, of course, the only defining characteristic of each group. The word òc came from Vulgar Latin hoc, while oïl originated from Latin hoc illud, Old Catalan, and now the Catalan of Northern Catalonia also have hoc. Other Romance languages derive their word for yes from the Latin sic, thus, etc. such as Spanish sí, Eastern Lombard sé, Sicilian and Italian sì, or Portuguese sim. French uses si to answer yes in response to questions that are asked in the negative sense, the name Occitan is sometimes considered a neologism, however, it was attested around 1300 as occitanus, a crossing of oc and aquitanus. For many centuries, the Occitan dialects were referred to as Limousin or Provençal, after Frédéric Mistrals Félibrige movement in the 19th century, Provençal achieved the greatest literary recognition and so became the most popular term for Occitan. The term first came into fashion in Italy, currently, linguists use the terms Provençal and Limousin strictly to refer to specific varieties within Occitania, keeping the name Occitan for the language as a whole. Many non-specialists, however, continue to refer to the language as Provençal, NO·L LI TOLRÀ NO·L LI DEVEDARÀ NI NO LEN DECEBRÀ. Nec societatem non AURÀ, si per castellum recuperare NON O FA, et si recuperare potuerit in potestate Froterio et Raimundo LO TORNARÀ, carolingian litanies, both written and sung in Latin, were answered to in Old Occitan by the audience. Occitan was the vehicle for the poetry of the medieval troubadours and trobairises, At that time

Occitan language
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Main cities of Occitania, written in the Occitan language
Occitan language
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Occitan
Occitan language
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"Speak French, Be Clean" written across the wall of a Southern French school
Occitan language
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This bilingual street sign in Toulouse, like many such signs found in historical parts of the city, is maintained primarily for its antique charm; it is typical of what little remains of the lenga d'òc in southern French cities.

7.
Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department
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The following is a list of the 163 communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department of France. Communauté dagglomération du Pôle Azur Provence, created in 2002, communauté dagglomération de la Riviera Française, created in 2002. Communauté urbaine de Nice-Côte dAzur, created in 2002, communauté dagglomération de Sophia Antipolis, created in 2002

8.
Aiglun, Alpes-Maritimes
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Aiglun is a French commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur region of southeastern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as Aiglenois or Aiglenoises, Aiglun is a remote mountain commune some 40 km north-east of Nice in a straight line. There are only two routes to the commune - the first by Highway D17 from Roquesteron to the east. Heading west on Highway D17 continue left onto Highway D10 which continues via a route into the commune. The other access is the continuation of Highway D10 west from Aiglun over a mountain route to Le Mas. The Estéron river passes through the south of the village. Numerous streams feed into this river in the commune, the northern part of the commune consists of high snow-capped mountains while the southern part is less high mountains. There are few roads however there are four hamlets in the Esteron Valley, Vascogne, Les Lones, Le Colombier, and LEscle. In 1388 the village of Aiglun was under the protection of the House of Savoy like the rest of the region during the Dédition of Nice to Savoy from 1388, at the Treaty of Turin on 24 March 1760, the commune became French. The name of the town appears for the first time in texts around 1200 in the form Ayglezuni and this was derived from the Latin word Aquila, meaning eagle, and the Gallic dunum, meaning height and signifies as a whole the height of the eagle. List of Successive Mayors of Aiglun Mayors from 1942 In 2009 the commune had 91 inhabitants, the evolution of the number of inhabitants is known through the population censuses conducted in the town since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of municipalities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held five years. Population Change Sources, Ldh/EHESS/Cassini until 1962, INSEE database from 1968 The village is known for its steep climbing walls over 200 metres high with high difficulty routes, the Aiglun canyon is also popular for canyoning enthusiasts. Daughter of Joseph Robin, who was mayor of Aiglun in the early 20th century, this French theatre actress died in 1982 at Aiglun and her memory is still alive with the people of Aiglun who knew her and plans are underway to honour her. Sometimes these events are carried out in collaboration with the University of Nice, communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department Yves Bernard, The Tourist and Cultural Directory of the Alpes-Maritimes and Monaco, p

Aiglun, Alpes-Maritimes
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A general view of the village
Aiglun, Alpes-Maritimes
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The Town Hall
Aiglun, Alpes-Maritimes
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The Estéron river
Aiglun, Alpes-Maritimes
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Aiglun War Memorial

9.
Amirat
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Amirat is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. This little village is made up of three quarters, The Agots, with the church and the hostel, Amirat village, where the mayors office is located. Maupoil, location of the 16th century Saint Jeannets Chapel, Amirat had the fourth highest percentage of people who voted for Jean-Marie Le Pen of all French communes during the second round of voting in 2002 -59. 26%. The current mayor is Yvon Michel of the UMP, who was elected in 2005, the communes inhabitants are known as Amiratois. A well known Iyengar yoga instructor, Charles Cartmell, is an Amirat resident, Saint Jeannets Chapel, a 16th-century chapel with lovely wooden gate in Maupoil. Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department INSEE Official site

Amirat
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The town hall of Amirat

10.
Andon, Alpes-Maritimes
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Andon is a French commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur region of southeastern France. Andon is a home for many coastal residents and for people attracted by the peace and beauty of the area. The ski resort of Audibergue is in Andon commune, the Loup has its source nearby. The village is accessible via the D79 which branches west from the D5 road passing through the village, the D2 road also passes through the north of the commune from Valderoure in the west to Greolieres in the east. The No.400 route of the Sillages Transport Association serves the town from Monday to Friday on request and No.410 route, the climate of the region is Alpine with Mediterranean influences. Winters are cold with warm summers and sunny with cool nights, the rest of the year is rather cool with frosts possible from October to May. The site of Andon village has been occupied since 1000 BC, there are traces of the presence of Ligures in an entrenched camp called Castellaras de la Selle dAndon. This site was occupied by the Romans. Milestones have been found indicating the Via Vintiana connecting Séranon to Gréolières with the names of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius and the procurator Julius Honoratus. There are traces of Roman presence at multiple sites in the commune at, la Selle de Caille, la ferme du château, la Moulière, les Teilles, la Selle dAndon, la Baisse, at Collet de la Serre in the castellaras a small necropolis was found. The ruins of a large Roman tomb have been identified near the priory of Clos de Bourges, the village of Andon succeeded a former village which was perched on the Col de Castellaras and whose remains date to the 13th century. It was abandoned after a fire in the 18th century, the village was then rebuilt at the current location. The Count of Provence gave the lordship of Andon to Romée de Villeneuve in 1230, the lordship then passed to the family of Grasse-Bar, then to Russan then Théas. On the eve of the Revolution it belonged, with Thorenc, to Mr. de Fanton, the death of Queen Joanna I of Naples created a crisis of succession for the head of the County of Provence. The cities of the Union of Aix supported Charles of Duras against Louis I of Anjou, the Lord of Andon, Florent de Castellane, endorsed the Angevins in 1385 after the death of Louis I. Canaux appears in texts in 1251, in 1421, the Countess of Provence gave this lordship to Bertrand de Grasse. The original village was located 1 km to the west, in 1623, the Bishop of Grasse dared not climb to Canaux as we are assured that the road is rough and bad. Thorenc is mentioned in texts from 1200 under the name castrum de Torenc or Torenc, the village was originally a lordship of Grasse, then of Boniface de Castellane before depending the Count of Provence in 1235 who passed it to Romée de Villeneuve

Andon, Alpes-Maritimes
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Town hall
Andon, Alpes-Maritimes
Andon, Alpes-Maritimes
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Victorin Bonhomme Square at the centre of the village and the church
Andon, Alpes-Maritimes
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The ramparts of Castellaras de Thorenc

11.
Antibes
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Antibes is a Mediterranean resort in the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France, on the Côte dAzur between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is in the commune of Antibes and the Sophia Antipolis technology park is northwest of it, traces of occupation dating back to the early Iron Age have been found in the areas of the castle and cathedral. However, most trade was with the Greek world, via the Phocaeans of Marseille, Antipolis was founded by Phocaeans from Massilia. As a Greek colony settlement, it was known as Antipolis from its close to Nice. The exact location of the Greek city is not well known, given Greek colonial practices, it is likely that it was set at the foot of the rock of Antibes in todays old city. Traces of occupation in the Hellenistic period have been identified around the castle, the goods unearthed during these excavations show the dominance of imported products of the Marseilles region, associated with Campanian and indigenous ceramics. Early in the second century BC the Ligurian Deceates and Oxybiens tribes launched repeated attacks against Nikaia, the Greeks of Marseille appealed to Rome as they had already done a few years earlier against the federation of Salyens. In 154 BC the consul Quintus Opimius defeated the Décéates and Oxybiens, Rome gradually increased its hold over the Mediterranean coast. In 43 BC, Antipolis was officially incorporated in the province of Narbonesian Gaul. Antipolis grew into the largest town in the region and an entry point into Gaul. Roman artifacts such as aqueducts, fortified walls. The city was supplied with water by two aqueducts, the Fontvieille aqueduct rises in Biot and eventually joins the coast below the RN7 and the railway track at the Fort Carré. It was discovered and restored in the 18th century by the Chevalier dAguillon for supplying the modern city, the aqueduct called the Bouillide or Clausonnes rises near the town of Valbonne. Monumental remains of aqueduct bridges are located in the neighbourhood of Fugaret, in the forest of Valmasque, like most Roman towns Antipolis possessed these buildings for shows and entertainment. A Roman theatre is attested by the tombstone of the child Septentrion, the inscription says he danced and was popular on the stage of the theatre. The theatre was located, like the amphitheatre, between Rue de la République and Rue de Fersen, near the Porte Royale, the back wall is positioned substantially next to Rue Fourmillère. A radial wall was found on the side of the bus station. A plan of the made in the 16th century is in the Marciana National Library of Venice. The remains of the amphitheatre were still visible at the end of the 17th century during the restructuring of the fortifications of the city, a concentric oval was still visible in many plans of the seventeenth century and in a map of Antibes from the early nineteenth century

Antibes
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View of Antibes by the Mediterranean
Antibes
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Beach in Antibes, as seen from the city's walls.
Antibes
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The rocky beaches of Antibes
Antibes
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Aerial view

12.
Auribeau-sur-Siagne
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Auribeau-sur-Siagne is a French commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur region of south-eastern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as Auribélois or Auribéloises, Auribeau-sur-Siagne is a medieval village dating from the 11th century located some 10 km north-west of Cannes and 6 km south-west of Grasse. Perched on a spur, the village overlooks the Siagne river. Access to the commune is by road D9 from Pégomas in the south-east which passes north through the part of the commune. The village, which is in the south of the commune, is accessed by local roads, the commune is served by the Sillages bus network Route 29 that has nine trips per day on weekdays. There are extensive residential areas in the commune with the areas of Le Gabre, Les Vayoux, Le Moulin Vieux, Carel. The rest of the commune is forested with a few patches of farmland. The Siagne river forms the border of the commune with several tributaries flowing south through the commune to join it. Auribeau is one of the hilltop villages in Alpes-Maritimes built to enable the population to protect themselves against external aggressors. The earliest traces of occupation are an Oppidum located at the top of mount Peygros. At Mandelieu a secondary road split off to follow the Siagne up to Auribeau, in an act of 1158, the pope confirmed ownership by the Bishops of Antibes of the fields and tithes of the churches of Auribeau, Pégomas, Notre-Dame-de-Valcluse and Mouans. A text from 1242 reads Auribeau church and castle which indicates that the village existed at that time, the population of the village was decimated in the middle of the 14th century in the wake of war and the Black Plague. The raids by Raymond de Turenne continued to devastate the region until 1399, a text from 1400 describes the place as deserted, castle completely destroyed near the church of Our Lady which is now open to the skies and partially destroyed. In an agreement dated 5 June 1497 the Bishop of Grasse, Jean-André Grimaldi requested the people of the dioceses of Albenga, therefore, the village that we see today dates from the 16th century. The church however, which is located outside the village walls, in the 16th century the Siagne river was navigable between Auribeau and Mandelieu and served as a transportation route. In 1692, commune residents opposed the requisitioning of workers to build the fortifications at Antibes, in 1707, during the War of Spanish Succession, the village was invaded and sacked by the French and Austro-Sardinian armies. In 1720 the Plague of Marseille led to the closure of the village, in 1765 Auribeau had 560 inhabitants. The number of inhabitants at the last census was between 2500 and 3499 so the number of members of the council is 23

Auribeau-sur-Siagne
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View of the village from the Chemin de Pierrenchon
Auribeau-sur-Siagne
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The Town Hall at Auribeau-sur-Siagne
Auribeau-sur-Siagne
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The Old Village
Auribeau-sur-Siagne
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The Altar of the Chapel

13.
Auvare
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Auvare is a French commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur region of south-eastern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as Auvarois or Auvaroises, Auvare is located some 45 km north-east of Nice and 6 km north-east of Puget-Théniers in the heart of the Alps. Access to the commune is by the D16 road from Puget-Theniers which passes through the far south of the commune and continues, changing its designation to D316, to join the D2202 just south of Daluis. Access to the village in the centre of the commune is by a local road which branches from the D16 in the south of the commune and follows a tortuous. There is also an equally tortuous route going west from the village which eventually meets the D316 west of the commune, apart from the village there is the hamlet of Les Vignes towards the south. The terrain of the commune is alpine and very rugged with no apparent farmland, after the Roman conquest, Augustus organized the Alps into provinces. The territory of the present commune of Auvare was part of the province of Alpes Maritimae which was attached to the civitas of Glanate, in late antiquity the Diocese of Glandevès defined the limits of this civitas. The Roudoule Valley was conquered by the French Revolutionary Army in October 1792, the region was annexed by the decree of 31 January 1793 and confirmed by the Treaty of Paris. The French Revolution was apparently well received since a Liberty Tree was planted and remained until the Restoration of the Savoyard State in 1814, the Savoyards hastened to levy taxes bringing a new upheaval to the Auvare community. List of Successive Mayors Since 1 January 2014 Auvare has been part of the Community of communes of Alpes dAzur and it was previously a member of the Community of communes des vallées dAzur until this disappeared during the implementation of a new departmental plan for inter-communal cooperation. In 2010 the commune had 49 inhabitants, the evolution of the number of inhabitants is known from the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held five years. Population Change Sources, Ldh/EHESS/Cassini until 1962, INSEE database from 1968 The main economic resource is sheep farming, communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department Yves Bernard, Tourist and Cultural Annual for Alpes-Maritimes and Monaco, p

Auvare
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View of the Village
Auvare
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The church at Auvare

14.
Beaulieu-sur-Mer
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Beautiful place, Occitan, Bèuluec de Mar) is a seaside village on the French Riviera between Nice and Monaco. It is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department and borders the communes of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Èze, the Villa Kerylos is a structure on a low rocky promontory by the sea. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century by the archeologist Théodore Reinach and is in the style of an ancient Greek villa at the time of Pericles, the Villa was bequeathed to the Institute of France in 1928. It is currently classified as a historical monument, today Beaulieu-sur-Mer is known as a beautiful Mediterranean resort village with quality marina facilities. It is also known as the site of the Villa Kerylos, Beaulieu-sur-Mer is a sister city of Tempe, Arizona. Every year, four French students are paired with four American students and this student exchange is with the Tempe Sister Cities organization, which has been voted Best Overall Sister City Program in both 1998 and 2004. Beaulieu-Sur-Mer served as the town of Beaumont-Sur-Mer in the hit 1988 film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Beaulieu-sur-Mer
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Beaulieu-sur-Mer, seen from Saint-Hospice
Beaulieu-sur-Mer
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For other uses, see Beaulieu.
Beaulieu-sur-Mer
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View of the port of Beaulieu-sur-Mer

15.
Biot, Alpes-Maritimes
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Biot is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur region in southeastern France. It is located near Antibes Juan-les-Pins, between Cannes and Villeneuve-Loubet on the top of a hill overlooking the Mediterranean, about 40 kilometers from Monte Carlo, Biot was a pottery centre from the beginning of the 16th century until the 18th century. In the middle of the 20th century, Biot once again famous for its decorative pottery. Biot is well known for its glassblowers and bubble glass products Eloi Monod started the villages glass-blowing tradition, the Fernand Léger museum stands at the foot of the village. European Heart House, the headquarters of the European Society of Cardiology, is located in Sophia Antipolis. Toyota ED2 design center is located here, ED2 leads the design of the future Toyota automobiles in Europe and beyond. Once inhabited by Celts, Biot was conquered by the Roman legion two thousand years ago, which remained there for five hundred years. In 1209 it was a village of Knights Templar who were replaced in 1312 by the Knights of Malta, from 12th to 14th century, remarkable result of original charters from the archives of the Temple, gives us a perfect idea of the castrum and the village of Biot. In 1209, the Count Alfonso II of Provence gives to the Order of the Temple all his possessions in Biot. In January 1308, the Count of Provence Charles II of Naples, obeying the instructions of the Pope Clement V, Knights Templar in front of the pope will surrender. Many families of knights Templar emigrated to parts of Europe. All the assets of the Knights Templar are delivered to the Order of Saint John, in 1387 the town was destroyed by the war. In 1470 Biotti was repopulated with 50 families emigrated from western Liguria, even today many residents speak a language unique in the world, the variant Biot of Figun. Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department Official website Virtual visit of the old village with fullscreen panoramas Fernand Léger Museum INSEE

Biot, Alpes-Maritimes
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The Place des Arcades Biot, in Biot

16.
Breil-sur-Roya
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Breil-sur-Roya is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Breil-sur-Roya is one of the towns on the route of the Train des Merveilles which runs between Nice and Cuneo in Italy, the GR52, part of the French Grande Randonnée walking trail network links the town to Gorges de Saorge and Vallon de Zouayne. Breil-sur-Roya is particularly known for trout fishing, the Roya river runs through town and is open to trout anglers from March to September. Part of the run is reserved for fly-fishing. Trout anglers share the river with rafters, another popular local sport, breil-sur-Roya is twinned with, Borgo San Dalmazzo, Italy Aléria, France Roya River Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department INSEE

Breil-sur-Roya
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The tower of Cruella, in Breil-sur-Roya

17.
La Brigue
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La Brigue is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. La Brigue became part of France after World War II, when Italy was forced to hand it over in September 1947 under the terms of the Peace of Paris, before the hand over, it was part of the Province of Cuneo. The transfer, which was not unopposed in the village, was endorsed by a local plebiscite which took place on 12 October 1947 and was subject to international supervision. The Shrine of Our Lady of the Fountains is the home to a huge 15th-century painting by the painter Giovanni Piemontese Canavesio, the village is situated along the long-distance hiking trail GR52A. Another attraction for sports enthusiasts is a nearby via ferrata of medium difficulty which ascends about 250 metres above the village. La Brigue is twinned with, Triora, Italy Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department INSEE

La Brigue
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A view of the dry riverbed of the Rio Sec in La Brigue

18.
Caille, Alpes-Maritimes
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Caille is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Caille is built on an outcrop in a glacial peneplain. Near to Bauroux, one of the summits of the Alps. Caille is constructed on an East-West axis along a main street. Caille was an agrarian town and although the population of farmers has halved in the last 30 years, cereal crops, sheep. Recently, there has been a drive towards tourism and the village features gîtes, mountain biking courses, a playground, a ski slope. Caille takes its name from the Indo-European root word Cal, meaning a place overlooking a rock, Caille is also the French word for quail, and the local church, rectory and town hall all feature carvings of quails. Although there was a presence in the Caille region in antiquity. Two large families were recorded in the region, De Castellane, from the 17th to 18th century, the ruling family of Caille were Théas. In January 1790, the National Constituent Assembly created the department of Caille, on the 6th of November 1801, when the number of Cantons was reduced, it was included in the canton of St. Auban. Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department INSEE Official site

Caille, Alpes-Maritimes
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A general view of Caille

19.
Cannes
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Cannes is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune of France located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, the city is known for its association with the rich and famous, its luxury hotels and restaurants, and for several conferences. On 3 November 2011 it also played host to the G20 organisation of industrialised nations, by the 2nd century BC, the Ligurian Oxybii established a settlement here known as Aegitna. Historians are unsure what the name means, the area was a fishing village used as a port of call between the Lérins Islands. In 69 AD, it became the scene of violent conflict between the troops of Otho and Vitellius, in the 10th century, the town was known as Canua. The name may derive from canna, a reed, Canua was probably the site of a small Ligurian port, and later a Roman outpost on Le Suquet hill, suggested by Roman tombs discovered here. Le Suquet housed an 11th-century tower which overlooked swamps where the city now stands, most of the ancient activity, especially protection, was on the Lérins Islands and the history of Cannes is closely tied to the history of the islands. An attack by the Saracens in 891, who remained until the end of the 10th century, the insecurity of the Lérins islands forced the monks to settle on the mainland, at the Suquet. Construction of a castle in 1035 fortified the city by then known as Cannes, one took a century to build. Around 1530, Cannes detached from the monks who had controlled the city for hundreds of years, during the 18th century, both the Spanish and British tried to gain control of the Lérins Islands but were chased away by the French. The islands were controlled by many, such as Jean-Honoré Alziary. They had many different purposes, at the end of the 19th century, henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux bought land at the Croix des Gardes and constructed the villa Eleonore-Louise. His work to improve living conditions attracted the English aristocracy, who built winter residences. At the end of the 19th century, several railways were completed, in Cannes, projects such as the Boulevard Carnot and the rue dAntibes were carried out. After the closure of the Casino des Fleurs, an establishment was built for the rich winter clientele. This casino was demolished and replaced by the new Palace in 1979, in the 20th century, new luxury hotels such as the Carlton, Majestic, Martinez, and JW Marriott Cannes were built. The city was modernised with a centre, a post office. There were fewer British and German tourists after the First World War, winter tourism gave way to summer tourism and the summer casino at the Palm Beach was constructed

Cannes
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The Promenade de la Croisette and the port
Cannes
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Cannes seen from Spot Satellite
Cannes
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Panorama of the waterfront
Cannes
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Boulevard de la Croisette along the waterfront.

20.
Colomars
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Colomars is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes département in the Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur region in southeastern France. Inhabitants of Colomars are called Colomarsois, Colomars is a part of the Pays Niçois. Colomars is an area, located in a valley between Var to the west and Mont Chauve to the east. There are many pines and olive trees in the centre of the village, the fortress in Colomars was built in 1880 and the Sirole chapel was inaugurated in 1857. Colomars was founded in 1070 by the monastery of Saint-Pons for the children of Raimbaud de Nice, a decree signed on 2 June 1874 by Maréchal de Mac Mahon separated Colomars, Aspremont and Castagniers into three separate villages. The municipality has celebrated 125 years of age on 19 September 1999, the current mayor of Colomars is Isabelle Brès, since March 2008. Colomars is one of thirteen villages grouped together by the Communauté dagglomération de Nice-Côte dAzur tourist department as the Route des Villages Perchés. The others are, Aspremont, Castagniers, Coaraze, Duranus, Èze, Falicon, La Gaude, La Roquette, Levens, Saint-Blaise, Saint-Jeannet and Tourrette-Levens. Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department INSEE Official site Colomars at the Quid site Neighbouring villages of Colomars Location of Colomars on a map of France

Colomars
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A view of the church of Colomars, from the road to Nice

21.
Entraunes
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Entraunes is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Entraunes lies 110 km northwest of Nice where the Var flows into the Mediterranean and it lies in the northwest corner of Alpes-Maritimes next to the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. Since 1979, it has been part of the Parc National du Mercantour, the Var has its source in the commune at an altitude of 1790 m at the foot of the Estenc Glacier. The western limit of the commune is the line of peaks that separated the territory of the House of Savoie from France on the west, annual snowfall averages 1.80 m with 20 days of snowfall annually. Rainfall averages 1384 mm, with rains in the fall. Up to 1600 m, the terrain is forested, and above that, are alpine meadows up to the rocky peaks, communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department INSEE

Entraunes
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A general view of the village
Entraunes
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Entraunes dominated by the Roche Grande

22.
La Gaude
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La Gaude is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. To the south of the village, a restored Roman stele is close to the Aurelian Way, after the Saracen attacks in the ninth century, the inhabitants of the nearby and higher village of Saint-Jeannet descended to the more fertile and less rugged La Gaude area. La Gauda is mentioned in 1075, soon the village was burned for having converted to the Cathar heresy. When the frontier became the nearby River Var, the village was again destroyed, the village was affected by the plague in the fifteenth century and abandoned until the late sixteenth century. La Gaude became an independent community in 1599, separating from Saint Jeannet, looting took place in 1704 and for five days in 1707. In the twentieth century, La Gaude was transformed by the arrival of piped water. The Provençal writer, Marcel Pagnol, was captivated by the village, writing, I will be back in a fortnight and will rush to place to admire your barbaric flowers. He bought a property in the village, the domaine de lÉtoile, IBM established a research centre in La Gaude in the 1960s. Perched Villages, La Gaude is one of thirteen villages grouped together by the Communauté dagglomération de Nice-Côte dAzur tourist department as the Route des Villages Perchés. The others are, Aspremont, Castagniers, Coaraze, Colomars, Duranus, Èze, Falicon, La Roquette, Levens, Saint-Blaise, Saint-Jeannet and Tourrette-Levens. Eco-musée Vivant de Provence, Founded by the Danish entomologist and filmmaker Ib Schmedes, chapelle Saint-Ange, Construction of the chapel, dedicated to Saint-Bernardin, was begun in 1844, left until 1873 and completed in 1875. Its last religious service took place in 1913 and it fell into ruin until repaired in 1927. From 1949 to 1960 it was used as a cinema, the chapel was restored between 1996 and 2003 by the painter-sculptor Alexis Obolensky and the master glassblower Alain Peinado. Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department INSEE Official website

La Gaude
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The church of La Gaude

23.
Gourdon, Alpes-Maritimes
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Gourdon is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. In the distant past, this rock was used as a place of refuge. Gourdon, as it appears to us today, gives an example of a Feudal village. It is built on a peak whose impressive slopes will, after hundreds of rock falls. There is only one entrance, from which you can access the main street, in former times, it was defended by a simple and harmonious Roman gate, that has been demolished at the beginning of the century. Thick, high ramparts close off the North side, which is the point from which the village can be approached. The castle is one of Gourdons most important features and it has been open to visitors since 1950, and was classed as an historical monument in 1971. Its magnificent gardens were designed by André Le Nôtre and its architecture dates from the ninth century. Certain scenes of Les Misérables were filmed at Gourdon and in the surrounding area, communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department INSEE Gourdon Tourist Office

24.
Le Mas
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Le Mas is a French commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur region of South-eastern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as Massois, Massoises, le Mas is located some 45 km north-west of Nice and 32 km east of Castellane in a direct line. The D110 branches from the D10 in the west of the commune, the commune is alpine in nature with high mountains and alpine valleys throughout. The Gironde river flows through the commune from west to east to join the Estéron which forms the border of the commune as it flows south then east joining the Var at Saint-Martin-du-Var. Numerous tributaries feed the Gironde in the commune and he donated the land of Aiglun to his cousin Pons of Ferres on 18 May 1349. The fief of Mas passed down to Bertrand II de Grasse, the Grasse family lost the lordship of Mas at the time of the separation of Nice and it subsequently remained with the Counts of Provence. The Kingdoms of France and Piedmont both claimed them, in addition, in the Estéron Valley the right bank of the Var was Piedmontese which created a tongue of land jutting out into French Provence. In Haut-Var it was ultimately the line of the watershed which prevailed, to provide compensation to France and to reduce the irregularity of the border, the community of Mas was ceded to France in 1718. For more historical information click here, list of Successive Mayors In 2010 the commune had 169 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known from the censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held five years

Le Mas
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A general view of the village
Le Mas
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The entry to Le Mas
Le Mas
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Le Mas War Memorial
Le Mas
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A street in Le Mas

25.
Mougins
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Mougins is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. It is located on the heights of Cannes, in the district of Grasse, Mougins is a 15-minute drive from Cannes. The village is surrounded by forests, such as the Valmasque forest, in the village there are pines, olives, and Cyprus trees. Pablo Picasso spent the last 12 years of his living in Mougins. He lived in a mas at Notre-Dame-de-Vie, which is a hilltop just beside the old village of Mougins. Mougins has a strong history with such great chefs as Roger Vergé. Both were synonymous with the restaurant LAmandier, which is situated in the heart of the old village, Fetisson moved to Mougins in April 2010 having just been the head chef at the two-Michelin Star restaurant, Le Cheval Blanc, in Courchevel just prior. Like Ducasse, Fetisson worked at LAmandier in his career before returning to Mougins again in 2010. Mougins hosts the annual International Gastronomy Festival of Mougins, or Les Étoiles de Mougins, given its close proximity to Cannes, Mougins is also often the tourist destination for Hollywood stars during the Cannes Film Festival. Dame Elizabeth Taylor hosted the amfAR AIDS Charity dinner for the Hollywood elite for almost 10 years until 2008, the hilltop of Mougins has been occupied since the pre-Roman period. The Ligurian area withstood several invasions during the Byzantine period, before the City of Genoa took firm control over the Ligurian region, much of the centre of the old village dates back to this period. In the 11th century the Count of Antibes gave the Mougins hillside to the Monks of Saint Honorat who continued to administer the village until the French Revolution. During this period, Mougins was a village surrounded by ramparts and parts of the medieval city wall still exist as well as one of the three original ancient gate towers. During the 18th century War of the Austrian Succession, the village was plundered by the Austro-Sardinian armies, following this, some of the ramparts were deconstructed and several new little streets of early 19th-century houses were built. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the village was a centre of production, producing lavender, roses. Mougins is a village, where both the ancient buildings and the 19th-century houses are inhabited as they have always been. Commandant Amédée-François Lamy was born in Mougins in February 1858, fort-Lamy in Chad was named after him, but was renamed NDjamena in 1973. The main Place in the village is named after Commandant Lamy, the exile Volodymyr Vynnychenko, former Prime Minister of Ukraine, lived in Mougins from 1934 until his death in 1951

26.
Nice
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Nice is the fifth most populous city in France and the capital of the Alpes-Maritimes département. The urban area of Nice extends beyond the city limits. Nice is about 13 kilometres from the principality of Monaco, the city is nicknamed Nice la Belle, which means Nice the Beautiful, which is also the title of the unofficial anthem of Nice, written by Menica Rondelly in 1912. The area of todays Nice contains Terra Amata, a site which displays evidence of a very early use of fire. Around 350 BC, Greeks of Marseille founded a permanent settlement and called it Nikaia, after Nike, through the ages, the town has changed hands many times. Its strategic location and port significantly contributed to its maritime strength, for centuries it was a dominion of Savoy, and was then part of France between 1792 and 1815, when it was returned to Piedmont-Sardinia until its re-annexation by France in 1860. The citys main seaside promenade, the Promenade des Anglais owes its name to visitors to the resort, for decades now, the picturesque Nicean surroundings have attracted not only those in search of relaxation, but also those seeking inspiration. The clear air and soft light have particularly appealed to some of Western cultures most outstanding painters, such as Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, Niki de Saint Phalle and Arman. Their work is commemorated in many of the museums, including Musée Marc Chagall, Musée Matisse. Nice has the second largest hotel capacity in the country and it is one of its most visited cities and it also has the third busiest airport in France, after the two main Parisian ones. It is the capital city of the County of Nice. Nice was probably founded around 350 BC by the Greeks of Massalia, the ruins of Cemenelum are in Cimiez, now a district of Nice. In the 7th century, Nice joined the Genoese League formed by the towns of Liguria. In 729 the city repulsed the Saracens, but in 859 and again in 880 the Saracens pillaged and burned it, during the Middle Ages, Nice participated in the wars and history of Italy. As an ally of Pisa it was the enemy of Genoa, during the 13th and 14th centuries the city fell more than once into the hands of the Counts of Provence, but it regained its independence even though related to Genoa. The medieval city walls surrounded the Old Town, the landward side was protected by the River Paillon, which was later covered over and is now the tram route towards the Acropolis. The east side of the town was protected by fortifications on Castle Hill, another river flowed into the port on the east side of Castle Hill. Engravings suggest that the area was also defended by walls

Nice
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Nice Port
Nice
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Nice in the time of the Roman Empire.
Nice
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The Tower of Saint François
Nice
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Nice in 1624

27.
Peille
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Peille is a commune perched on a rock between Monaco and Menton in the Alpes Maritimes department in southeastern France. Higher still than the village are the ruins of a château dating from the thirteenth century, peille borders Blausasc, Peillon, and La Turbie. Examples of this include the remnants of the village fortifications. On the very edge of the face is a large building known as the Palais des Lascaris this too dates from the fourteenth century. The village has a church in the Romanesque style with ancient frescos decorating its interior. The inhabitants are called either Peillois or Peillasques, communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department INSEE About the Principality of Monaco Official site Official Infos site

Peille
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The village seen from the chapel of Saint-Roch

28.
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
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Roquebrune-Cap-Martin is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France between Monaco and Menton. The name was changed from Roquebrune to differentiate the town from Roquebrune-sur-Argens in the neighboring Var department, in pre-Roman times the area was settled by the Ligurians. Traces of their language can be found in the local dialect. The commune was founded in 971 by Conrad I, count of Ventimiglia, in 1355, Roccabruna fell under the control of the Grimaldi family of Monaco for five centuries, during which time the castle was strengthened. In 1793, Roquebrune became French for the first time, changing the name from the original Roccabruna, in 1804 Napoleon built a road along the coastline. This road connected the village to the rest of the Côte dAzur, in 1848, there was a revolution related to the Italian Risorgimento, with the result that Roccabruna and Menton became free cities under the protection of the Savoy Prince. They hoped to be part of the Kingdom of Sardinia, but this did not occur, and they remained in a state of political limbo from 1849 until they were finally ceded to France by a plebiscite in 1861. As a consequence of these ideals, during World War II all the coastal area between Italy and Monte Carlo was occupied and administered by the Kingdom of Italy until September 1943. The area became fashionable in the 1920s and 1930s leading to the construction of notable buildings including Coco Chanels La Pausa on Cap Martin. The Irish poet William Butler Yeats died in the town of Menton on January 28,1939. Yeatss body was buried at a cemetery in Roquebrune until September 1948, today Roquebrune-Cap-Martin comprises several villages and towns, St. All the area has a huge tourism activity, mainly from April to October, the local dialect actually is linguistically part of the mentonasque of the Païs Mentounasc, a cultural area between the Ligurian dialects and the Occitan language. Since 1861 the use of the French language has increased enormously in the city, despite its name, the Monte Carlo Country Club is located in the municipality. It is the venue for the tennis Monte-Carlo Masters

Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
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The old village, the cape and the bay of Roquebrune

29.
Roure
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Roure is a commune located in the department of Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France in the Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur. It is a village with agro-pastoral architecture. The village is situated at the entrance of the Tinée Valley, at the edge of the Mercantour National Park, the village is accessible by road from Nice through the RN202, towards Digne then 2205 RD, the RD30 and RD130. Also by path through the GR5, the village contains five little villages, Rougios, lost in the mountains, Tiecs, la Cerise, Puch and Valabres where there was a priest and a school until 1904. The first indication of the dates from 1067 under the name Rora. Villagers raised and tended cows and goat herds on behalf of their owners, hence, the origin of the village’s name. Arboretum Marcel Kroenlein Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department Communes of the region Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur

Roure
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The church of Saint-Laurent and the town hall, in Roure

30.
Le Rouret
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Le Rouret is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Le Rouret is located 10 km from Grasse,26 km from Cannes, parts of Le Rouret sit on a south-facing elevation, providing a view to the Mediterranean Sea ranging from Monaco to Saint-Tropez. The commune is residential, but a number of shops. The surrounding areas are interspersed with flower farms, used by the perfume distilleries of Grasse, two sites in Le Rouret show signs of ancient occupation, Le camp du bois du Rouret and Le Castellaras. Le camp du bois is situated on a hilltop, digs carried out by Paul Goby at the end of the 19th century showed signs of habitations from around 400 BC, with the most dense period of occupation being around 100 BC. Le Castellaras is very similar but additionally sports a fallen monolith, however, no other signs of occupations from these periods has been found on this site. Richard Wright, best known for his career as a keyboardist with Pink Floyd, the family of Richard Galliano, a French-Italian accordionist, have lived in Le Rouret for generations. Peter Churchill, famous SOE agent in the Second World War, communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department INSEE

Le Rouret
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The church of Saint-Pons in Le Rouret

31.
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat
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Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, Italian, San Giovanni Capo Ferrato) is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. It is located on a next to Beaulieu-sur-Mer and to Villefranche-sur-Mer. Its tranquillity and warm climate make it a holiday destination among the European aristocracy. Sant Ospizio, a friar, is said to have inhabited a tower on the Eastern part of the peninsula. Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat had once known as Cap-Saint-Sospir after a sixth-century monk who had lived in the area. In the 8th century, the history of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat changed when the Saracens occupied the site, by 1388, the territory of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat with the entire County of Nice was given by treaty to the Dukes of Savoy. The history of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat tells that Duke Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy built a fort at Saint-Hospice in 1561 in an effort to secure the coastline from invaders. The fort was destroyed in 1706 by the Duke of Berwick when Nice was occupied by the French armies of King Louis XIV. During the 18th century, the history of Saint Jean Cap Ferrat changed when the area - officially part of the Kingdom of Sardinia - was occupied off and it was returned to the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1814 after Napoleons abdication. In 1860, the County of Nice was finally ceded by treaty to France and the became a magnet for kings and wealthy visitors. The small fishing village of Saint Jean developed and by 1904 was established as a commune with the rest of the peninsula. At the beginning of the 20th century, King Léopold II of Belgium owned an estate on Cap Ferrat and built several houses and an artificial lake. The main residence is the Villa des Cèdres, which has been owned by Marnier-Lapostolle since 1924 and is now in part a garden called the Jardin botanique Les Cèdres. In 1905, Béatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild chose Cap Ferrat to build a Tuscan-style palazzo and this very scenic location can be rented under special conditions to host galas and events in the lush park and gardens. Today Saint-Jean Cap-Ferrat has probably some of the most expensive real estate in the world, current famous residents include Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in Villa Maryland and theatrical composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Major Berkeley Levett, an English aristocrat and witness in the infamous Royal Baccarat Scandal, lived in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat with his heiress wife. Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat has a mild Mediterranean climate, average temperatures range from 9 °C in January to 23 °C in the summer. There is very little rainfall in the summer, although occasionally the Mistral winds arrive, it is more sheltered by the mountains than for example St. Tropez, so the winds are not as strong

32.
Tende
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Tende is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Tende is located within Mercantour National Park in the French Alps, the mountainous commune is bordered by Italy to the north, with the boundary determined by the watershed line between the two countries. This line of mountain tops contains more than 20 summits exceeding 2,000 meters, a large rectangle of land running east/west, Tende is split from north to south by the Roya river valley. The tributary Réfréi river joins the Roya within the limits of Tende, the Col de Tende, a strategic pass through the Alps to Piedmont, has been modernized to be a road and railway tunnel. Known to be a place in 690, it is unclear when Tende first became an organized settlement. Prehistoric rock engravings have been found in the area, which are now on display in the Musée des Merveilles or in situ, First to the Duchy of Savoy, then the First French Republic, then restored to the Savoyard Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont. From 1861 to 1947 Tende was part of Italy, and was damaged during the Italian invasion of France in 1940, Tende was the last commune to join the French Republic in 1947, when Italy was forced to cede some alpine areas to France. The castle was destroyed in 1692 when King Louis XIV ordered his Marshal, Catinat, the only complete structure that remains is a circular tower, transformed into a clock during the 19th century. The tolling of the bells can be heard day and night throughout Tende. Tende is located on what was once an important route of the trade between Italy and France. During their reign of Tende, the Lascaris would demand a toll of those transporting salt, while the main language of Tende is French, most of Tendes residents also speak Tendasque, a variety of the Ligurian language with Provençal influences. The Tendasque dialect has many similarities with the Mentonasque of the coast, among the villages youth, Tendasque is less prevalent, while many of them can speak Italian. The village recently began celebrating a series of festivals during the summer, one such festival celebrates the Old Tende, and on the second Sunday of each July, a long-standing festival is held in honor of Saint Eloi, patron saint of the village. Sugelli, a distinctive pasta with a thumb print indentation is a local specialty, at the base of the hillside town is a public swimming pool, built around the turn of the millennium. A via ferrata along the tops of the villages mountains attracts climbers, the trail head can be accessed from near the base of the town clock. Train services are operated by Trenitalia. The Train des Merveilles, makes a three daily runs from Nice to Tende, taking the 9. 29am train from Nice and returning on the 2. 55pm train will give you three good hours for exploration. Tende is twinned with, Narzole, Italy Col de Tende Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department INSEE Musée des Merveilles & Chimes from County of Nice, tirignoun from Tende

Tende
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Tende
Tende
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In the city
Tende
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A map of the County of Nice (in Italian) showing the area of the Kingdom of Savoia annexed in 1860 to France (light brown) and to Italy (yellow). Tende (Tenda in Italian) was in the yellow section.

33.
Tourrettes-sur-Loup
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Tourrettes-sur-Loup is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. This is a village situated near Vence. It features medieval and Romanesque buildings, situated 14 km from the Mediterranean coast, between Vence and Grasse, Tourrettes-sur-Loup is predominantly a tourist village however it does have a rich historical background. Tourrettes-sur-Loup has a small population of just over 2,400 residents. Inhabitants of the village are known as Tourrettans, Tourrettes-sur-Loup is a medieval village, perched on a rocky spur, situated on the southern slope of the Puy de Tourrettes. The slope of the land directly to the loup valley. The village is predominantly a tourist centre, the medieval village is well renowned for its arts and crafts such as weaving, painting, pottery jewelry and sculpture, all of which are created in the village by the residents. There are forty artisans all of whom live in the village, the local economy is based on, • The culture of violet • Confectionery, crystallized flowers, candied fruit, etc. 23% which, amongst the 193 most commonly taxed villages, ranks 53rd. • The chapel of St. John, Was restored in 2005 • Ear, A stone, ear-shaped construction about 40m long, the ear is no longer open to the public seeing as the city has recently authorized the building of a villa on the site. • La bastide aux violets, a dedicated to the violet flower which was opened on 6 March 2010. With fortified architectural qualities, the houses of ‘‘‘Tourrettes sur loup’’’form a general uphill structure creating ramparts, the houses are situated around a half moon circuit that forms the central route for the village. From Aix-en-Provence exit 47 Villeneuve-Loubet From Italy, Monaco or Nice exit 48 Cagnes-sur-Mer Follow the signs to Vence, the nearest station is Cagnes-sur-Mer,15 km from the village. The nearest airport is Nice Côte dAzur which is 21 km from the village, • boules, ‘‘Tourrettans’’ and tourists play boules in the ‘‘Place de la Liberation’’. • paragliding • hang-gliding • canyoning • climbing • fishing • horseriding • skiing, • beaches, The nearest beach is at Cagnes-sur-Mer which is just 14 km from the village. Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department INSEE Tourrettes-sur-Loup travel guide from Wikivoyage Virtual visit of Tourrettes-sur-Loup with fullscreen panoramas

Tourrettes-sur-Loup
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A view of the village of Tourrettes-sur-Loup from the Quenières road

34.
La Turbie
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La Turbie is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. La Turbie was famous in Roman times for the monument, the Trophy of Augustus. During the Middle Ages, the village was mainly under the dominion of the Republic of Genoa, dante wrote in his Divina Commedia that Turbia was the western limit of the Italian Liguria. Actually the local dialect is extinct, mainly after the 1860 inclusion of the Savoian County of Nice in France. On September 13,1982, Princess Grace de Monaco was killed here in a car accident. The commune formerly includes the communes of Beausoleil and Cap dAil, only the old main town, around the remaining structure of the Roman Trophy of Augustus, forms the current commune. The boundaries of La Turbie were formerly more extensive and included the territory now contained in the town of Beausoleil, formerly known as Haut-Monte-Carlo, the commune of La Turbie retains a smaller, common boundary with part of the Principality. La Turbie can be reached either from Cap dAil on the coast or the Grand Corniche, within the town is the Trophy of Augustus, also known as the Trophée des Alpes. A limestone outcrop above La Turbie is called the Tête de Chien, the association football club AS Monaco FC have had their training ground in La Turbie since 1981. The training center is located in an old quarry and has 2 natural grass pitches as well as an artificial turf small pitch, La Turbie is twinned with, Sarre, Aosta Valley, Italy Prince Albert II of Monaco has a property on the heights of Rocagel. Rudolf Nureyev had a residence there until 1993, La Turbie was one of the locations where the movie Ronin was filmed. Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department INSEE Official website Trophy of Augustus Trophy of Augustus, the inscription Original appearance of the Trophy of Augustus Discover La Turbie

35.
Vallauris
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Vallauris is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur region in southeastern France. It is located in the metropolitan and is effectively an extension of the town of Antibes. In 1948 Picasso came to live in Vallauris, where he stayed until 1955, during his time in the town, he created a great many sculptures and paintings including War and Peace, one of the major artworks of the period. He also developed a fascination for the techniques of ceramics and linocuts, many inhabitants still evoke his presence and that of his contemporaries, the bullfights, exhibitions and visits by all kinds of famous people. Golfe-Juan is a town, part of the commune of Vallauris. Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department INSEE Official website

Vallauris
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Golfe-Juan

36.
Villefranche-sur-Mer
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Villefranche-sur-Mer is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur region on the French Riviera. Villefranche-sur-Mer adjoins the city of Nice to the east along Mont Boron, Mont Alban and Mont Vinaigrier, the town limits extend to the hills surrounding the bay climbing from sea level to an altitude of 520 m at Mont-Leuze, reflecting on land the features found offshore. The three Corniches or main roads linking Nice to Italy pass through Villefranche, the site of what is now Villefranche and surrounding Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat has been settled since prehistoric times. Celto-ligurian tribes roamed the area and established farming communities on the surrounding hills, the Greeks and later the Romans used the natural harbour as a stop-over en route to the Greek settlements around the Western Mediterranean. After the conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar, the Romans built an extension of the Via Aurelia, by the fall of the Carolingian Empire, the area was part of Lotharingia and later part of the County of Provence. In 1295, Charles II, Duke of Anjou, then Count of Provence, enticed the inhabitants of Montolivo, by charter, he established Villefranche as a free port, thus the name, granting tax privileges and port fee rights that lasted well into the 18th century. By 1388, East Provence became part of the Duchy of Savoy as a result of the succession to the heirless Queen Joan I of Naples. For the next 400 years, the known as the County of Nice was hotly disputed between the Holy Roman Empire to which Savoy was an ally and the French. In the late 17th century, the fell to the French but was returned to Savoy after the Peace of Utrecht. During the 18th century, the city lost some of its importance to the new harbour being built in Nice but remained a military. In 1744, a Franco-Spanish army under the Prince of Conti overran the Piedmontese regiments of Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia at the Fort of Mont Alban in the heights above the town. In 1793, the French returned to re-occupy Villefranche and the county of Nice remained part of the Napoleonic Empire until 1814 and it was returned to the Kingdom of Sardinia by the Congress of Vienna. In 1860, as a consequence of the Risorgimento, it was given to France by treaty following a plebiscite, by the late 19th century, it had become an important Russian Navy base and the Russians established an oceanographic laboratory in the old lazaret. The site was also the residence for royalties and wealthy visitors. Villefranches bay is notable for reaching a significant depth only a distance from shore. As a result, it has become an important port over the years, during the most recent years before 1966 the flagship of the Commander Sixth Fleet rotated between USS Springfield and USS Little Rock. Since the 1980s Villefranche has been used by cruise ships and it is the most visited cruise ship port of call in France. Villefranche is now part of the Urban community of Nice Côte dAzur, but Villefranches aging population, like elsewhere in the eastern part of the Alpes-Maritimes, is not being replaced by younger people at the same rate as in the rest of the département

37.
Villeneuve-Loubet
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Villeneuve-Loubet (pronounced, is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur region in southeastern France. It lies between Cagnes-sur-Mer and Antibes, at the mouth of the river Loup and it was created by the joining two old villages, the old village of Villeneuve inland and the village of Loubet on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It is at the time a seaside resort and part of the technopole of Sophia Antipolis. The writer and historian Jules Bertaut died in Villeneuve-Loubet, Villeneuve-Loubet was also the site of a battle in World War II when it was liberated by the First Special Service Force on August 26,1944. The tower of the castle was damaged by a shell fired by the US Navy, in 2006, the bodies of fourteen Germans who were killed during the fighting were discovered in a mass grave near the town by a local medical student. Saint Marc Church, The stained glasses have been realised by the artist painter Pier Lecolas in 2006, the commune is twinned with, Forlimpopoli, Italy Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department INSEE

Villeneuve-Loubet
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The village overlooked by the Château de Villeneuve-Loubet